Silverstone has been in the power supply market for quite some time now and it is a renowned manufacturer among advanced users and enthusiasts. If there is a thing that makes Silverstone standing out from other manufacturers is that it is one of the very few companies which has such a long products line-up and offers both pinnacle-level and budget-level products. Today we will be having a look at two 500W units, one from the Strider Essential series and one from the Strider Plus series.

The Silverstone Strider Plus 500W (ST50F-P) is quite impressive. Yes, it currently retails for $74.99 incl. shipping, nearly double the price of the ST50F-ES; however, it also is leagues ahead of the entry-level model in every aspect. The electrical performance is significantly better, with the voltage line ripple suppressed down to levels worthy of a performance product and efficiency which should exceed 84% most of the time during typical usage. It also runs much cooler and far quieter, making it ideal for use in everyday work and gaming systems, especially in quiet environments, where a noisy computer would be uncomfortable.